Arcade Fire

Epics. Anthems. Climaxes. Choruses. Swells. Crests. Builds. Drops. Handclaps. Righteous handclaps. Hey! Ohhhhhhhh. Ahhhhhhhh. Ohhhhhhhh. Hey! Arcade Fire's communal earnestness, via eight hard-playing musicians, was on full display during Monday's concert. The band was vibrant, energized, and connected. Their righteous fervor permeated song after song, and there was a sense of militancy in the music that penetrated the heart and made one an instant follower. Sign me up.

The D Man named The Suburbs the Best Album of 2010. So the Grammys followed suit. A towering musical achievement in the field of rock'n'roll deserves to be played out live. (Especially in the same gym where The D Man took home the 2001 three-point contest title). So The D Man went to the concert with Mrs. D Man in tow. Rizzo tagged along. Call it Family Night. After all, Win Butler is married to the chick who plays the accordian and drums, right?

Enjoy some random thoughts on a fantastic set. Eight songs from The Suburbs. Three songs from Neon Bible. Six songs from Funeral (one of the best albums this century). No complaints here. Mrs. D Man had a blast and that is always enough.

Set List

• Month of May. They came blistering right out of the gate. With their arms folded tight!
• Rebellion (Lies).
• Neighborhood #2 (Laika). Alexander. Older brother. If you want something, don't ask for nothing! Absolutely rocked.
• City With No Children
• Rococo. This song's second half was striking. Maybe my least favorite song on the new album, it came alive during the show. Love it when that happens.
• Intervention
• The Suburbs. The best moment of the night in a night with best moments? This song's nostalgic childhood potency--in my dreams we're still screaming and running through the yard--arrests your adult heart. The Spike Jonze images from the video played in slow motion throughout, and I was transported to the neighborhood of my youth. Win Butler played the piano and came to a drawn out, solo finish. Sometimes I can't believe it, I'm moving past the feeling again.
• Suburban War
• No Cars Go. How good was this song live? Very, very good. Hey!
• Haiti
• We Used to Wait. I used to write letters, I used to sign my name. Butler explained that the handwritten letters in the multimedia video were from his Grandpa Vino, who resided in Sandy, Utah.
• Neighborhood #3 (Power Out). Maybe the fiercest song in the band's catalog. The power is out in the heart of man. And everywhere else. Only the grooviest, heaviest guitar solo of the night could possibly save us all.
• Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels). Butler explained that he played ball that afternoon and was the direct answer to Jimmer fever. (Cough, cough). After all, he said, how many middle-aged white guys can hit shots from ten feet behind the arc? Besides The D Man, not many.
• Wake Up. The D Man named this one of the ten best songs of the last decade. For tonight, it was the best song you've ever heard.
• Encore
• Ready to Start. Yes, I'm ready. You know I would.
• Keep the Car Running. The keys are in the ignition. You will not be leaving without me.
• Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains). Regine Chassagne looked lovely and funky most of the night. She brought things home with her lilting, key-board infused march through the mountains. A great closer.